


- retrieving file . . .

by Glitched_Fox



Series: Overthinking [1]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Conjunx Endura, M/M, Snapshots, Transformers Spark Bonds, transformers choose their names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 12:22:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17787323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glitched_Fox/pseuds/Glitched_Fox
Summary: Rewind goes through his database, rewatching files of the moments that led him to where he is now.





	- retrieving file . . .

_\- accessing database . . ._  
_\- retrieving file . . ._  
_\- recording will play in . . ._  
_\- 3_  
_\- 2_  
_\- 1_

\------

The bigger bot kneeled, examining R-190. “Hello.”

The minibot’s gaze flicked back and forth under his visor. Was he supposed to respond to that?

“My name is Dominus Ambus.” Well, yes, R-190 knew that. He’d been bought by Dominus, after all. “You are..?”

_Click-click-cli-_

Wait. 

“My designation is R-190.”

Dominus tilted his head slightly. “You do not have a name?”

R-190 shook his head.

“Well now, that just won’t do. Don’t you want a name?”

A shrug.

“I’m sure you do. Go on now- what do you want to be called?”

R-190 thought about that for a moment. Sure, he’d thought about it before, but he’d never thought anyone would care. “Rewind,” he said finally.

Dominus nodded. “Rewind! I like it.” He stood, dusted himself off, and offered a servo to the smaller bot. “Come along now, Rewind. We have work to do.”

\-------

_\- retrieving file . . ._

\------

“Conjunx?” Rewind asked again.

“Conjunx!” Dom replied eagerly. He picked up Rewind, setting the stunned minibot upon the berth. “I love you, Rewind. Do me the honor…?”

“The rites,” Rewind protested weakly.

“Have already been done,” Dom finished. “C’mon, Rewind. Please.” He took Rewind’s servos in his own, optics shining in delight. “Be my Conjunx Endura?”

“Yes,” Rewind breathed, leaning into Dom’s touch. “ _Primus,_ yes.”

\-------

_\- retrieving file . . ._

\------

Rewind was lost.

Hesitantly, Dom’s side of the bond opened. Rewind immediately jumped on the opportunity, sending across waves of _loveappreciationcomfort **hello!**_

A response. _lovecomfortconcern **areyouokay?**_

Back and forth like that- questions and confirmations, followed by more questions as they pinned down each other’s locations. Dom immediately scooped up Rewind in his arms, pulling him close enough that Rewind could hear his Conjunx’s racing spark.

“Hey Dom.” Rewind relaxed in the bigger mech’s arms, camera flashing to snap a photo of Dom’s handsome face.

“Rewind. What did I say about running off on your own?”

“Hmm.” Rewind put a servo to his chin in mock thought. “Not to do it?”

Dom ex-vented in a sigh. “Especially when our comms are down. You’re an idiot!”

“‘Tis why you love me.” 

That got a laugh. “Yes, I suppose.” Rewind hummed as he felt Dom’s side of the bond slowly close off again. “That was exhausting, by the way. How _do_ you keep that up all day? The emotions through the bond thing? Regulating which ones go through and all that.”

A shrug. “Dunno. It doesn’t feel tiring to me. I guess you just get used to it? Though…” He looked up at his lover, tilting his head slightly. “You do realize you get a lot of my negative emotions too, right? Those are harder to control.”

“Yes, but I would never think of you of less for it.” Gently, Dominus place a little kiss to the helm of the minibot before setting him down. “Now come along, we have a mission to complete.”

“And a moon to find!”

Another laugh. “Yes, that too.”

\-------

_\- retrieving file . . ._

\------

_painpainpainpain **painpainohprimuswhydoesithurt--**_

“Dom! Dominus!” Rewind nudged his lover, snapping the mech out of recharge. “Dom, what’s wrong? I felt… pain over the bond. Are you okay?”

The bond slammed shut and Rewind winced.

“Rewind- I’m fine, my love. I promise.”

“Are you sure?” Rewind dimmed his optics a little, just suddenly realizing they had flared up. “It… It felt pretty bad.”

“Just old damage causing a bit of trouble, my dear. It’s no big deal.”

Rewind’s visor narrowed suspiciously. Dom provided no further explanation. Realizing that he wasn’t going to get any more answers, the archivist sighed, laying down beside his Conjunx on the berth. “Mmmkay.”

“Rewind…”

“Night, Dom.”

“...Good night, Rewind.”

\-------

_\- retrieving file . . ._

\------

“We missed the start of a war,” Rewind commented bleakly. His back still stung from the brand. Dom placed a servo on his shoulder reassuringly.

“It’s okay, Rewind. It’s not like either of us are particularly eager to watch a global war begin.”

“It’s still mildly terrifying, Dom. What else do you think we could’ve missed?”

 

Dom kneeled to be optic-level with the smaller bot. “Rewind. I know you don’t like not knowing thing. I know you’re scared. But please, trust me. Everything’s going to be okay. You don’t even have to fight, remember?” Lightly, he tapped the archivist’s helm. “The information you carry is-”

“-too important to risk losing, I know,” Rewind finished. He ex-vented in a small annoyed huff. “I just… I hate this whole situation, Dom. It feels… It all feels so… so _wrong._ ”

“I know, Rewind.” Dom’s expression softened a bit. “I know.”

\-------

_\- retrieving file . . ._

\------

Eavesdropping was one of Rewind’s many hobbies.

Eavesdropping on someone determined to not let Rewind specifically hear the conversation was a bit harder, but he was gonna try, dang it. 

Dom was speaking loud enough over his comm for Rewind to hear, pressed against the door. “Are you _sure_? Why, of all people, would you choose-” he paused, assumedly having been interrupted by whoever he was talking to.

As good of a hacker Rewind was, he was pretty sure he couldn’t hack into his Conjunx’s comm system without the other noticing.

“...Of course.” Pause. “And- and does that hold any significance?” Another pause, and then Dom gave a humorless laugh. “Incredible. Truly incredible.”

The black mech darted around the corner as Dom opened the door, only to pause in the doorway. “It’s all… Great. Fantastic. Love that.” The sarcasm dripping from Dom’s words was almost tangible. As the person on his comm talked at him, his gaze shifted to Rewind’s makeshift hiding spot. Rewind gave a small wave. Dom rolled his optics, the corner of his mouth twitching the beginnings of a smile. “Well, fine. I’ll talk to you later.”

There was a beep as the comm shut off. Dom crouched down and gathered Rewind in his arms, lifting him up into the light. “And just _what_ do you think you’re doing?”

“Oh, y’know,” Rewind supplied lazily, “chillin’ out. Under the table.”

And now Dom smiled (and laughed!) for real, gently pressing his helm to Rewind’s. “I love you, Rewind.”

“I love you too, Dom!”

\-------

_\- retrieving file . . ._

\------

Rewind woke up to _pain_. Burning, horrible _**pain**_. Pain in.. where? Everywhere. Every inch of his body _hurt_. He started to search for the code to turn off a few of his pain receptors to give himself some semblance of relief, but he could barely even think.

His… his spark, that’s what hurt the most! That’s where that horrible burning feeling was coming from, as it pressed against its casing. He whimpered, reaching to claw at his chassis subconsciously.

Strong, steady servos grabbed Rewind’s wrists and forced them down to his sides. He couldn't even find the energy to fight.

Words were exchanged between the mechs in the room- medics? Was this a medbay? Rewind wasn’t paying attention, but at least his camera picked up a few phrases.

“I’m just surprised the guy’s still alive,” commented medic #1. “Small as he is, I doubt his spark can hold on for very long.”

“Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s gone by morning,” medic #2 added. “A bond severing like _that_? Stronger mechs could’ve died.”

“How _did_ it sever, anyway?” medic #3 asked. “Did the guy die, or was it just forcefully broken?”

“I’m… not sure,” medic #2 admitted. Medic #1 made little ‘i dunno’ noise. 

And then they left, and Rewind passed out again.

\-------

_\- retrieving file . . ._

\------

Dominus was gone.

Not dead, just… gone. He couldn’t be dead. Rewind would know if he was _dead_.

...Right?

Somehow, the archivist held on to the hope that, maybe somehow Dom was still alive, even if the pain in his spark made it hard to believe that sometimes. And so Rewind started searching.

But his searches were unsuccessful.

So, maybe… Maybe Dom _was_ dead. And that’s why Rewind had snuck his way into a Relinquishment Clinic. And that explained the broken sobs every time he managed to pull a coffin open enough to look inside. At least it wasn't Dominus. So many mechs had died here. So many mechs had _given up_. But at least it wasn’t Dominus.

And then _he_ walked in. The big orange mech, who carried himself like… well, like someone ready to die. Whose voice glitched on higher tones and was soft and strong at the same time, like he was scared to speak up but could command a crowd. Whose fingertips had all too familiar slits, as he offered a servo to Rewind.

“The worse the death, the more painful the memories,” that mech stated.

“Who are you?”

“Everyone calls me Chromedome.”

“Why are you here?” 

“To do something about it.”

Rewind hesitated a moment longer, then took the offered servo, sliding the coffin shut again as he stood. “I… Someone once called me Rewind.”

“I like that name.”

“...I do too.”

Beat. Chromedome’s gaze flicked over the coffins behind Rewind. “I’m sorry for your loss.” 

“What? Oh, it’s… not like that.” And then Rewind explained. About Dominus Ambus, and how kind the mech was to him. About his Conjunx’s mysterious disappearance, and Rewind’s desire to find out what happened.

And once he was finished, he looked up. Chromedome was staring at him. “Uh. Yeah. Sorry for wasting your time.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I just- tell me more about this guy.”

And that was the start of a friendship. 

\-------

_\- retrieving file . . ._

\------

And then it was the start of a deeper relationship.

Conjunx Endura, to be precise.

But Rewind was hesitant. Not in the relationship, no, he loved Domey with all his spark, but it was just _that._ Rewind’s spark was weak, scarred. Scarred and scared. Scared to be hurt again. Scared of what would happen if another bond severed.

Rewind was pretty sure he wouldn’t survive.

But if his bond with Domey was severed for any reason, he doubted he’d want to.

Maybe he could… “Domey?”

“What’s wrong, Rewind?”

“I’m scared. My spark doesn’t want to get hurt again. _I_ don’t want to get hurt again.”

Domey carefully pulled the smaller bot into his lap, resting his helm against the other’s. “It’s okay, my love. That’s fair.” He gently traced the seams of Rewind’s chest. “We don’t have to bond until you’re ready. Even if that takes thousands of years.”

“What if I’m never ready?”

“Then you’re never ready. It’s okay. I’ll still love you, sparkbond or no.”

Rewind hummed. Yeah, he could work with that.

\-------

_\- retrieving file . . ._

\------

Domey tugged lightly at the bond. Hesitantly, Rewind opened his side a bit and was immediately bombarded with waves of _loveappreciationcomfort **hello!**_

Rewind hummed, smiling under his faceplate. Domey reminded him a lot of himself sometimes. He brushed his hand along the wall as he walked the path to their hab suite. He took a moment to simply revel in the emotions of his lover.

_lovelovelove_

_!!!_

Okay. Yeah. Maybe it did hurt, sometimes, the strain on his damaged spark, but things like this reminded Rewind why he went through with bonding in the.

Primus, yeah. It was so worth it.

\-------

_\- retrieving file . . ._

\------

“Just forget me, Domey, _please!_ ” 

Domey grunted, shaking his head as much as he could with Vos restricting his movements. “Never. Not again. Not you.”

And Rewind begged and begged but Domey didn't budge. 

And Rewind winced as Domey slammed his side of the bond shut hard enough it stung. Vos shifted his grip on Domey's hand. He squeezed and there was the sound of metal against metal as the mnemosurgeon's needles slid out of his fingertips. Then a horrible snapping sound and- and-

Rewind's spark started burning with pain and oh primus he knew this feeling no no no not again--

\-------

_\- retrieving file . . ._

\------

It was chilly, up on the roof of the ship. Rewind sat with his knees up to his chest, staring at nothing.

For once, his mind was blank.

There was the sound of footsteps behind him, and Rewind stiffened. He knew those footsteps. He knew which mech carried himself like that.

Wordlessly, Chromedome sat down beside Rewind- not tight next to, he kept his distance, but the sentiment was there. Rewind glanced at him before looking away.

This… wasn't _his_ Chromedome. This was a Chromedome who’d been through different adventures, seen different things. Not very different things, but the sentiment was there. 

This was an entirely different person, yet exactly the same.

There were going to be challenges, Rewind knew. Issues and hurdles… his spark still burned from the severing of the bond. 

But it was okay. He and Domey had overcome drastic things before. They could do it again. Everything would be okay in the end. 

Slowly, Rewind scooted closer to Chromedome. Subtly, he leaned into the bigger mech, relaxing as Chromedome set his arm over the minibot's shoulders. Yeah. It wouldn't be perfect right away, but they'd get better.

For now, with the shock and pain and exhaustion of the day pulling at him, Rewind let himself slip into recharge.

Domey would protect him.

\------

_\- recording end ._  
_\- create montage of selected files ?_  
_\- [y/n]_  
_**y**_  
_\- montage saved ._  
_\- powering down . . ._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Happy Valentine's Day! <3


End file.
